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First Year Experience
The View From the Library
Betsy Hoagg
Research & Information Services
First Year Experience (FYE) is a program designed to give incoming students opportunities to become acquainted with the university, its programs and offices, students and staff, resources and possibilities. It began in 1996 as a response to the university's strategic goal of placing greater emphasis on undergraduate education. UConn's program uses methods developed at the University of South Carolina's National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, which was chartered in 1986. In 1996, about ten percent of UConn's incoming freshmen participated in FYE courses offered by about 15 staff and faculty. The second year, about 20 percent of the incoming class signed up, with more than 30 faculty and staff involved. Last May, John C. Bennett, Jr., associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the program, was hopeful of an enrollment of 500. In the fall of 1998, more than 800 students-fully one-third of the incoming class at Storrs-registered for University Learning Skills, the program's cornerstone. University Learning Skills (INTD 180), is a one-credit, one-hour-per-week class taught primarily by university staff, many from student services agencies on campus. Typically, there are about twenty freshmen, with an undergraduate student mentor, in each section. The curriculum comprises more than a dozen required topics in both academic and living skills, including time management, studying and test-taking, learning styles, career choices, and healthy lifestyles. Research, especially library use, is designated an essential component for all sections.
Library's Involvement
The University Libraries eagerly embraced this opportunity to reach first-year students early in their UConn careers. Without a required library instruction component in the university's general curriculum, some students do not have formal library instruction until several semesters into their programs. Many students cope with the world of academic library information on their own. The basic instruction curriculum used by library staff to introduce students to research methods was adapted for a 45-minute presentation. Three tasks were identified as a key foundation for using the University Libraries effectively: how to find a book, how to find a journal article, and how to navigate the web. Eighteen library staff were trained in the use of the lesson plan and appropriate electronic databases were selected. An opportunity to sign up for the library's instruction program was offered through the FYE instructors' e-mail distribution list. Quickly, thirty-three of the thirty-five sections were scheduled for instruction throughout the first nine weeks of the fall semester. Most of the sections came to the library's electronic classroom for the presentation, but several were taught elsewhere: two in residence hall computer labs, one in an academic building classroom, and others in smaller library instruction spaces. A hands-on component was tried initially, but discarded as being too time consuming for the 45-minute model. Library staff established some core expectations. After the basic instruction session, it was expected that students would: know how to read a bibliographic citation understand the concept of the subject heading be able to determine if the Libraries own a particular item be able to physically locate materials in the Libraries be more critical in their use of the World Wide Web HOMER UCAT, the Libraries' online catalog, was used as the basis of the class. Students were shown the most effective way to search for materials, encouraged to evaluate the information they found on the screen, and bring their printouts to the Information and Research Services Desk on level 1 for assistance. The Libraries' homepage, with links to hundreds of electronic resources and access to the world of web sites, proved to be a popular portion of the program. Library staff emphasized the need to assess the value of these resources critically.
Evaluation
A follow-up survey administered to students from more than half of the sessions produced some interesting results. While most felt the instruction was a worthwhile introduction, many commented that there was too much information for one brief class-a feeling shared by the library staff. Comments were generally positive, with "helpful," "comfortable," and "friendly" appearing numerous times, as did "confusing." Some students who received a walking tour of the Babbidge Library felt it was worthwhile, even though it took time away from the online instruction portion.
Future Plans
The University Libraries will continue to strengthen its ties with the First Year Experience program. Paramount is a wish to expand the instruction over several class periods rather than being limited to one 45 minute session. In response to student requests, hands-on participation will be built into a second class session. FYE instructors also will be given an assignment that can be used to measure student success. An online version of the instruction session will become available as a self-paced review, or an initial introduction. Both library staff and FYE instructors, however, feel that the presence of the students in the building and the library staff in the classroom afford an immediacy that is essential for first-year students. The Libraries are also looking at FYE as a place to initiate information literacy standards that are part of its strategic plan. Working together, the Libraries and First Year Experience can provide incoming students with the initial skills they need to meet the challenges of a university education.
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